


Thomas

by UnheardAmateurWriter



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-15 10:00:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10554428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnheardAmateurWriter/pseuds/UnheardAmateurWriter
Summary: Kevin goes looking for his cat when he finds a man sitting on an overpass.





	

“Thomas!” Kevin shouts for the nth time. Same name, different street. People glance at the short chubby kid with the clip in his hair before returning to what they were doing.

 

 A high school hipster saunters down the sidewalk and calls out to him. “Lookin’ for your dog or somethin’?”

 

 Kevin regards him, not liking the douchey haircut this guy is sporting. “Cat,” he corrects.

 

 “Sorry kid, haven’t seen any cats around,” Douchester tells him. Kevin is not interested in useless conversation so he continues on his way, continuing to shout for his cat.

 

 Eventually he reaches a bridge, several cars flying past him. He spots a guy sitting on the ledge. “I’m looking for my cat,” he tells him. The guy sits up a bit. His red hair stands out against the rails of the bridge.

 

 Kevin approaches the Red Haired-Man. He hears a cat meow and sees an orange tabby jump through the rails and rubs against his leg. Kevin picks the cat up. “You found Thomas,” he states.

 

 The Red-Haired Man doesn’t say anything to him. So, Kevin keeps talking.

 

 “Was looking for him all afternoon; Dad and Antoine would have grounded me for the next year.” Red Man still doesn’t respond. “He’s my cat, so he’s my responsibility,” Kevin adds.

 

 “I first asked for a dog, but Dad said no after what happened last time.”

 

 “…What happened last time?” Red Man finally asks. Kevin notices him tense a little at the mention of a dog.

 

 “Jaycob happened,” Kevin replies. The Red Man doesn’t say anything so Kevin looks out at the sun fading over the horizon. A car beeps behind him. He pets Thomas. It’s unusual for him to be this calm in a place like this. Then again, there aren’t as many cars this time of day.

 

 He kind of wants to leave now that he’s found Thomas, but he doesn’t want to leave this guy alone. He’s sitting on the other side of the rail, on the edge smoking a cigarette.

 

 “You were waiting for Thomas to leave.” Kevin states. Red Man doesn’t say anything so he inches closer. “You’re going to jump when I leave.” This gets the man to look at him. He isn’t as old as he first thought. He looks like a college student. Kevin peers through the bars at him. He looks like he hasn’t slept in a couple days.

 

 “Don’t do it.” Kevin advises.

 

 Red Man turns his head away. “Why?” He inquires.

 

 “Which is better, being betrayed by life or betraying life?”

 

 Red Man looks at Kevin again. “……..”

 

 “Being betrayed can still lead to progress. Betraying your own means ending any,” Kevin says. More silence. “Not even death can bring you liberation.”

 

 “…What…does that mean?” Red Man asks.

 

 “If ghosts are real, then in a way you’re still here. If reincarnation is real, you’ll be back. If there is nothing after death, then freedom doesn’t exist anymore.”

 

 “That’s quite the philosophy,” Red Man comments, taking a drag of his cigarette.

 

 “All lack freedom,” Kevin points out. He looks up at the sky, the stars starting to shine from above.

 

 “…Okay Phil, I have a question for you,” Red Man says.

 

 “Kevin.”

 

 “Do you believe the stars mean the end or the beginning?”

 

 Kevin looks a back at the Red Man. “That’s a dumb question.”

 

 The Red Man takes another drag of his cigarette, not looking impressed with Kevin’s response. “Stars are born and they die. So do humans. Stars just live a lot longer. When they form, so do planets. When they die they leave behind a trace so that new stars can form,” Kevin explains.

 

 The Red Man says nothing, apparently taking in this Science recap.

 

 “You feel insignificant, but someone will remember you. Their life is going to be affected by this. Family member, friend, they’re going to have to take in the fact that you’re dead and live with that. There’s a difference between, ‘my son got hit by a car and is in the hospital’ and ‘my son is dead: he killed himself.’”

 

 “…You were looking for your cat….you could have just left,” Red Man points out.

 

 “I didn’t,” Kevin also points out.

 

 “Why?”

 

 “You looked lonely.”

 

 “………….” Red Man gives him a confused stare.

 

 “I didn’t want to take Thomas and leave after you took care of him for me. I wanted to thank you.”

 

 The Red Man scratches his head. “He sort of came up to me…”

 

 “I can be your friend before you go.” Kevin offers. The Red Man drops the cigarette he’s been holding all this time. “…You’re never going to see me again,” he points out.

 

 “I know.”

 

 “Then…”

 

 “Anyone Thomas likes, I become friends with.”

 

 The Red Man shakes his head.

 

 “So what do you say? I’m Kevin.” Kevin sticks out a hand through the bars for the man to shake. The man hesitantly takes it, completing the handshake. “Cody,” he says.

 

 “Hey Cody, would you like to pet Thomas again? I’m sure he’ll miss you.”

 

 “…Sure.” To Kevin’s surprise, Cody grabs onto the rail, stands up, turns and then climbs over it. He’s quite taller than him, but Kevin reaches out to let Cody hold Thomas.

 

 The two are silent for a bit as Cody pets Thomas.

 

 “Thanks…” Cody mumbles and for once Kevin doesn’t respond. Dad and Antoine must be freaking out by the fact that he isn’t back yet.

 

 Cody hands Thomas back to Kevin. “Thank you for taking care of Thomas,” Kevin says. Cody nods in response. He turns towards the railing looking out over the street below.

 

 “Hey kid…why’d you stop trying to convince me?” He asks out of curiosity.

 

 “In the end, it’s your decision. Words can only mean so much.” Kevin replies.

 

 Cody doesn’t say anything after that, and neither does Kevin. They stand there in silence for a while until a car suddenly screeches to a halt behind Kevin. He turns around as a car door opens. Antoine flies out, his dad exiting the passenger door.

 

 “Kevin, where the hell have you been?!” Antoine demands.

 

 “We were looking everywhere for you!” His dad exclaims.

 

 Jaycob finally decides to show his face, climbing out of the car. “Who is _that_?”

 

 Antoine and Kevin’s dad look over at Cody. Cody awkwardly waves at them. They look back at Kevin.

 

 “He found Thomas,” Kevin explains.

 

 “Did he now?” His father inquires.

 

 “I doubt it!” Jaycob says. Thomas growls. Jaycob makes a face at him.

 

 “I was just thanking him.”

 

 “Kevin, you know not to talk to strangers.” His dad tells him.

 

 “I know. No one else was useful.” Everyone rolls their eyes. “Goodbye, Cody.”

 

 Cody waves him goodbye and Kevin gets into the car with his family.

 

 Jaycob groans. “Why’d you have to find another weirdo to talk to?”

 

 “At least he wasn’t 40 this time, but really, you have to be careful about who you talk to Kevin,” his father chides.

 

 “I know.”

 

 “If you know then act like it.”

 

 Kevin doesn’t say anything in response. He looks up at the stars, noting how bright they are in the night sky.


End file.
